Hawk, Cluff Are The Swiftest

December 8, 1985|By Beth Rhodes of The Sentinel Staff

Father Lopez's and DeLand's cross-country teams have produced the county's best runners.

Marjorie Hawk of the Father Lopez Green Wave and Jim Cluff of the Deland Bulldogs took first in the Five Star Conference meet to lead their teams to the title. They also dominated intracounty competition throughout the season to earn the the Volusia Sentinel cross-country runners of the year honors.

Hawk, a junior who's best time was 11:39 minutes in the Broward Invitational, advanced to take first place in the Class AA, District 3 competition, defeating the defending state champion, and finishing third in the state to lead the Green Wave to their first championship.

Father Lopez was within a stride of championships in the past, and Hawk was able to provide the difference between placing and winning.

''She's the best distrance runner we ever had at Father Lopez,'' Coach Scott Edwards said.

Edwards attributed Hawk's success to ''God-given ability.'' When she first came out for track last year, she was the ninth runner on the team. Six weeks later, she came in 11th in the state. Edwards said whereas some athletes have natural ability but aren't willing to work and others work hard but don't have the natural ability, ''Hawk has the best of both worlds.''

Edwards also applauded her team attitude. Hawk said she and Lopez's No. 2 runner, Laura Bouchard, ran together for the first mile. Hawk is a better second-miler. Bouchard gets off to a faster start, then drops off.

Edwards said Hawk would often talk to Bouchard during the race to encourage in the second mile.

''Here's the No. 1 girl trying to get the No. 2 girl to stay with her as long as she can,'' Edwards said.

Hawk was team runner to the point of self-sacrificing. She took only sixth place in a dual meet with DeLand upon Edwards' request to push the rest of the group.

Though she encouraged, she also reprimanded. Edwards said she was terribly upset with the team after their second-place finish in the district.

''To finish first and being the district champion meant nothing to her without winning the district championship,'' Edwards said.

''She does a nice job of getting everyone motiviated for the big races,'' he said.

Coach John Boyle said Cluff, a junior, did the same thing for the Bulldogs. Boyle said Cluff was always and inspiration to other runners and a boost for the program.

''When you get somebody like him it inspires other people to come out for the team,'' Boyle said.

''And he's a good guy and a good student -- the whole nine yards,'' Boyle said.

Cluff, a junior, ran his best time (16:06) of the season in the district competition where he took 11th place.

''Any other district, he would have gotten out to regionals,'' Boyle said, commenting on the difficulty of the district.

The other All-Volusia County team are Tim Webster (17:04) of Seabreeze, Henry Sumner (17:27) of New Smyrna Beach, Billy Walden (17:28) of Mainland, Blake Scott (16:50) of Spruce Creek, Alex Lowe (18:09) of Spruce Creek, Pat Mohn (17:34) of Seabreeze and Mike Stallman (17:40) of Mainland.

The boys second team is lead by the Hawks, whose team strength was in its depth. Steve Wright, Tommy Quick and Jim Sparks all placed on the second team for Spruce Creek. They are joined by Bill McClintic, Bill Lasher and Jim Eagan of DeLand, Scott Groeschner of Father Lopez and Willis Tripplett of Mainland. Rounding out the girls first team are Laura Bouchard (11:48), who spent her final season at Father Lopez just one step behind Hawk; Melanie Dunn (12:20), Lopez's third runner; and Eileen Spaulding (13:25) of Seabreeze, Deanna Garnes (12:35) of DeLand, Katherine Heller (13:41) of Lopez and teammate Debbie Moylan (13:44).